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Original poster

Tongue tie. Should I cut?

40 replies

Jasmine491 · 13/01/2020 14:58

My son is almost 5 weeks old. Due to mix ups with the referrals he has his assessment and a date to cut this week. I’m breastfeeding and he has a shallow latch that hurts. I’m using nipple shields and that usually helps with the pain. I’ve not had any infections and he is healthy and gaining weight. I was also thinking to stop breastfeeding once he was 6 weeks old so my husband could help more. I think I would continue if it didn’t hurt as much but I’m also not too concerned (for lack of a better word) about whether I bottle or breastfeed as long as he is healthy. My question is should I get it cut? Should I leave it? How much does it hurt them? Is it worth doing? I just want to hear other peoples experiences with tongue ties.

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champagneandfromage50 · 13/01/2020 15:00

Definitely worth doing. My DS tongue tie caused my nipples to blister. He also fed all the time as the tongue made it difficult to feed him properly. My DS was snipped at 4 weeks. Extremely quick and was placed straight onto the boob. Best thing we did

gaffamate · 13/01/2020 15:01

I would, if it's hurting and you need shields then go for it. It's very quick, both my DC have had theirs cut and I ended up feeding until 2 with my first and feeding my 2nd now at 5 months and plan to for a year or so too. If you want to get it cut the sooner the better though as they won't cut over a certain age

Pinkflipflop85 · 13/01/2020 15:14

Absolutely worth it. We had it done recently and DC had forgotten all about it by the time she had finished her 'recovery feed'

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MmeBufo · 13/01/2020 15:18

Yy, get it snipped. IRRC tongue tie can effect weaning and speech development too

RhymingRabbit3 · 13/01/2020 15:22

Definitely worth doing. You will probably find breastfeeding becomes much easier and more comfortable for both of you. If you want to stop at 6 weeks that's your choice, but you could also look at combination feeding so baby (and you) still gets some of the benefits of breastfeeding but your husband can help with occasional bottles of formula.

ToTravelIsToLive · 13/01/2020 15:26

100% worth it. It took a little time for my lo to learn to latch properly after but breastfeeding is much easier. He was upset at having it done but I think it was more being away from us than the actual cut as apparently it doesn’t hurt them at all. The actual procedure took less than 5 minutes

JayDot500 · 13/01/2020 15:34

My son had his cut today at almost 6 weeks. He is a complainer, yet cried for around 3-4 mins and seems fine. I can see him focusing a bit to get used to his new tongue. He can now extend his tongue out of his mouth, I'm so happy.

We did have latch issues, but I can't breastfeed now due to meds. DS1 also had tongue tie. I was mixed feeding. He totally was not interested in my breasts after his snip, so went straight to formula.

confusednorthner · 13/01/2020 15:46

Get it done now. My dd didn't get hers done till she was 4 as gp and health visitors said as I could feed her it wasn't necessary. It really delayed her speech and she hardly spoke till after it was done as she was frustrated by not being understood. If I could go back I'd fight for it to have been done when she was tiny.

DeanImpala67 · 13/01/2020 15:46

My DS had his snipped at 8 weeks and it made a huge difference. The original assessment said a mild tie but when they came to do the procedure he had both anterior and posterior ties which were making his tongue very tight. I watched them snip it, which I don't recommend, then he fed straight afterwards and was fine within minutes. Wish they had done it much earlier but they kept saying tongue ties don't affect feeding (the pain for me and his poor inefficient latch that led to continual feeds said otherwise to me) and it wasn't until his weight gain plateaued did they decide to do the procedure. I have no regrets over having it done for him at all.

Original poster

Jasmine491 · 13/01/2020 16:23

Thank you. I think I’m mostly worried about causing him pain. There’s a lot of information available online about getting it done to improve breastfeeding so it’s great to hear how it has affected children later in life.

OP posts:

Fatas · 13/01/2020 18:16

My little boy had his done at 6 days. The earlier the better. He did a cry and then I breastfed him and that was that. It was a simple and easy procedure. The injections are definitely worse

Wordie · 13/01/2020 20:26

Definitely recommend getting it done. I noticed a big difference after my baby had it done. Although, we had to use nipple shields for 8 months because I still couldn’t get a proper latch, it was worth it. Even if you plan on bottle feeding soon, a few minutes of pain, could save years of speech problems later in life x

NameChange30 · 13/01/2020 20:30

Yes definitely.
Tongue tie can affect eating and speech, not just breastfeeding.
Also, this is your choice, but there is no need to stop breastfeeding completely at 6 weeks, you could do mix feeding. Personally I expressed so DH could give DS a bottle. You could give formula too, your supply will be affected but this might not be a big issue.
FWIW my son spend less time breastfeeding after his tongue tie was sorted (with tongue tie he had to spend hours at the breast to get enough milk ) - he was more efficient so it was less demanding for me.
The longer you breastfeed the better, it's hard work but worth it IMO and it gets easier the more you do it.
Your choice though, no harm in stopping if that's what you want.

letsgogogo · 13/01/2020 20:34

Both my babies had tongue tie and I was like you, worried about causing them pain but honestly it's the quickest process and as soon as it's snipped they feed and it's totally fine, definitely recommend getting it done, it was such a relief to be able to feed without the pain

PastaSauceHoarder · 13/01/2020 20:36

We're getting our little girls tongue tie looked at tomorrow, she'll be 12 days old. It really hurts to feed her without shields (though they've been helping enormously) so I'm hoping it helps with her latch.
I feel like I'll probably cry when they cut her though!

letsgogogo · 13/01/2020 21:10

@PastaSauceHoarder I cried with my first but it was over so fast you will be surprised and then the moment she latches on and it's painless will be a huge relief

Sunshinegirl82 · 13/01/2020 21:27

Both of mine were tongue tied and they both had theirs snipped. It was over in seconds and they cried for less than a minute. I definitely would get it divided, it's really straightforward when they're little but much more of an ordeal to get sorted later if it's still causing problems.

BumpLoading · 13/01/2020 21:30

Yes definitely get it done and is all over so quickly! I turned away as they got ready to snip and a second later he was being brought to me to feed.
I actually found he cried more at getting his jabs done that the tongue tie snip!
He loves exploring with his tongue now so I'm so glad hes able to stick it out his mouth properly!

Landlubber2019 · 13/01/2020 21:36

Absolutely do it now, it can affect speech and you will not know this until much later.

The tongue can be released later but it carries more risk, higher chance of damaging the saliva glands and obviously a general anaesthetic.

It's not a biggie at this stage, but in a few years it may well be.

Twistybottomsclickytops · 13/01/2020 21:37

Mine barely flinched when it was done, and had totally "got over it" by the time I gave him a feed 2 minutes later. I'd say it's 100% worth doing.

My eldest wasn't detected until about 6 weeks, and they advised I didn't get hers snipped in case it changed how she fed (and we'd spent 6 painful weeks working out our unique little technique...), but I wish I had. She's now at school and has quite a speech impediment which I'm thinking she might need some therapy for... my gut feeling is that it is linked to the tongue tie that was never snipped, though I'm not an expert.

Daftodil · 14/01/2020 00:43

The procedure takes less than a minute. My DC cried, but I think he was more bothered by the doctor's fingers in his mouth than by the actual cutting. Stopped crying as soon as he had a mummy cuddle.

As per PPs, breastfeeding got easier after it was cut and less time consuming as latch was more efficient, but it still hurt for quite some time and so I continued to use nipple shields - make sure yours are the right size for you. The first pair I had were too small and still hurt, but getting the next size up was a game changer. I used them for about 4 or 5 months after tongue tie was cut, then suddenly didn't need them anymore (DC was tiny (0.4 centile) and my boobs were so big the physics of breastfeeding just didn't work for us, but once he got bigger and his mouth got big enough to deal with my ridiculously vast boob, it was sooooo much easier!)

Indella · 14/01/2020 01:15

Definitely get it done. My sons was missed and I stopped breastfeeding. It wasn’t until he was 6 that they realised he was severely tongue tied and he ended up having years of speech therapy after having it separated as a result.

StargazyDrifter · 14/01/2020 01:30

I’d do it. As PPs said, it can help them feed more efficiently from a bottle as well as from the breast (so whatever you choose these will be an immediate benefit - and do not fee pressured into keeping up BF at the clinic if you’d rather not). Plus tongue tie can affect weaning and speech in later life.

I also recall reading somewhere that they’ll do it without any painkillers for up to 12 weeks as the baby’s pain threshold in that area is v high until that age, not all nerve endings have joined up or something? Either way, like others have said, it’s over in minutes and the baby won’t remember a thing.

thunderandsunshine01 · 14/01/2020 01:34

Was told my DD needed it, but like you I was concerned about the pain it would cause. I didn’t have it done and no regrets. 7 years later and no speech problems and she gained weight just fine. Obviously can’t speak for everyone but just wanting to give my 2 cents as everyone else seems to be pro cutting... I’m also tongue tied and never experienced a prob. Although I will add that DD was bottlefed

Glib334 · 14/01/2020 01:38

My mum didn't do mine bc she formula fed me. I lisped really, really badly until i was about thirteen or so. Made me very self-conscious and I was bullied terribly.

It's so difficult doing something that you know will hurt them OP, but it'll mean you're more able to breastfeed (which as well as nutrition, is so comforting for them) and that it's significantly less likely to cause problems for your little one later. You'll be able to breastfeed him to comfort him straight away once it's snipped, and he won't remember it or be scared or upset any more within a few minutes.

Best of luck.

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